Eight (8) members of the ECB Pace Programme, accompanied by four (4) Management, staff and coaches are now back in England having completed a successful 5-day training camp between Saturday 9th – Thursday 14th December at Desert Springs Resort, Europe’s only international award-winning luxury family resort and championship desert golf course with its very own dedicated Cricket Ground & Academy.

Kevin Shine, National Lead Pace Bowling Coach remarked of Desert Springs Resort and the training camp;

“This was my first visit to Desert Springs and I wasn’t quite sure what to expect as the Resort is so well known for golf. However, the ECB Pace Programme has just enjoyed one of its most productive weeks so far. The facilities and staff are simply excellent and we couldn’t have been made to feel more welcome. Many thanks to all at Desert Springs, we will most definitely be back!”

The focus of the training camp was to provide an opportunity for the players to both work seriously on their batting, bowling & fielding skills as well as their fitness levels, through a specific strength and conditioning programme, to ensure that the players are in the best possible shape during their winter programme which includes warm-weather training in South Africa early next year at the High-Performance Institute for Sport at North West University’s Potchefstroom campus. After their return from South Africa, The Pace Programme will be returning to Desert Springs Resort once again from February 27th – March 3rd, 2018.

Rob Ahmun, National Lead Strength & Conditioning Coach remarked;

“Many thanks for a fantastic week. The gym facilities have now been taken to a new level, absolutely perfect for an elite training camp.

Ben Langley, National Lead Physiotherapist commented.

“I can’t think of a better place to come for a week of intensive training. Comfortable accommodation, quality food and great facilities. The service levels at Desert Springs certainly ensure that your experience meets your expectations.”

A few of the players views of their experience at Desert Springs Resort during the training camp were;

Jamie Overton, “Cricket at Desert Springs just gets better and better, really looking forward to seeing the new Oval completed. Thank you for another great visit.”

Jamie Porter, “So good to be training outside in December! The weather was fantastic and the Resort was perfect for everything we required, many thanks to everyone at Desert Springs.”

Reece Topley, “Thank you to all of the staff for looking after us so well. Gorgeous warm weather and great facilities.”

The players and coaches were accommodated in some of the privately-owned townhouses normally reserved for holidays and short breaks at Desert Springs and the resort’s executive chef was on hand to cater for the special dietary requirements of individual players at the award-winning ‘El Torrente’ Restaurant.

Additional background Information

Warm weather winter training camps at Desert Springs

Desert Springs, Europe’s only international award-winning luxury family resort and championship desert golf course, is already known as a resort specialising in family holidays, however it has rapidly gained popularity as a centre for warm-weather training for cricketers, athletes, and footballers, as well as golfers and is proving to be one of the most popular destinations for sports warm weather winter training camps.

All sports camps to Desert Springs are bespoke. If desired, the programme can include time away from the resort for some local sightseeing in what many regard as ‘the real Spain.’

During their stay attendees have opportunities to swim, play tennis and use the gymnasium, trim trail, jogging tracks, paddle tennis and beach volley ball courts.

Desert Springs is easy to reach from the UK, thanks to three international airports. They are: Almeria Airport, 40 minutes by car; Murcia Airport, 80 minutes by car, and Alicante Airport which is a drive of less than two hours. Airlines currently flying to the region from the UK include British Airways, EasyJet, Ryanair, Jet2, and Fly Thomas Cook.

Accommodation is provided in the apartments, townhouses and villas available for holidays and short breaks at Desert Springs. Meals are served in the resort’s Crocodile Club Restaurant, part of the family-friendly Crocodile Club that is geared up for a wide variety of leisure activities and the award winning El Torrente Restaurant at the Club House.

The Desert Springs Resort & Golf Club

Facilities already completed and in use at Desert Springs Resort include:

The Indiana course, a par 72 -18-hole USGA specification golf course, designed by former Great Britain and Ireland Golf Team Captain Peter McEvoy who was inspired by the desert courses of Arizona and California;

a golf academy whose PGA qualified teaching professionals cater for several international teams, for the women’s elite squads of the Golf Union of Wales and for many of the English County Union’s elite squads; PGA European Tour, PGA Europro Tour and LET players.

two tennis courts, two paddle courts, beach volley ball and two football pitches – one is a full-size grass pitch; the other is designed for five-a-side games;

a cricket ground with an eighteen (18) wicket square, constructed to ECB standards and specifications that will be ready for play in February 2018 and will be open all year round. Complimented by a Marquee pavilion, sightscreens, scoreboard, sprint strips, and associated facilities, it provides an outstanding facility to practice and play cricket.

a Cricket Academy with facilities that comprise; twenty-four (24) grass wickets and run up with nets, one artificial wicket with nets, a full length artificial grass wicket, a Professional Bola Bowling Machine with 28 ball feeder, requisite training equipment and a specific hard standing area, which provides outside space for facilities such as a free weights gym, stretching mats and a medical area.

a Spanish colonial style Golf Club House with a lounge, bar, restaurant, locker rooms, TV and reading rooms, and a Ralph Lauren Golf Boutique;

The Crocodile Club which provides family fun at the heart of the resort with pools, equipped sand play areas, a kid’s battery powered John Deere Gator circuit as well as a Jacuzzi, sun lawns and a pool bar;

a health and fitness club and spa.

Awards

Desert Springs Resort was awarded Best Golf Resort for Groups in Europe by the 2016 European Group Travel Awards (EGTA). The Indiana Course at Desert Springs Resort has also been recognised as the 6th Best Golf Course in Spain, based on the reviews of players who rated the course on the Leading Courses website. Out of the 345 courses present on this ranking the Indiana Course at Desert Springs occupies 6th place with a score of 8,8/10, and awards Desert Springs Golf Club with the “Outstanding” badge. This distinction is only given to the best 10 courses in the country.

Desert Springs Resort has been awarded the Daily Mail Best Almeria Award and the Bentley International Property Awards for the Best Spain Development and Best Architecture, as well as the Spanish National Madera Verde Prize for Environmentally Sensitive Development, the SICTED award for the distinction of “Commitment to Tourism Quality” and Andalucía’s Premier Tourism prize for 2017, the coveted and prestigious ‘Excellence in Management’ Award.

El Torrente Restaurant has received the New Millennium International Gastronomy Award for the Tourist, Hotel and Catering Industry. This award was created by the Trade Leaders Club with the aim of distinguishing companies from all countries, for the outstanding quality of their products or services.

The climate of the Almanzora coastal region

Desert Springs takes its name from the region’s desert microclimate, which is unique in Europe. It has the warmest winter weather on the continent with an annual average of more than nine hours of daily sunshine and maximum daily temperatures of between 16°C (60°F) and 30°C (86°F) throughout the year. Annual rainfall is less than 200 mm. The Almanzora coastal waters are among the cleanest and warmest in Europe, attracting both fish and diving enthusiasts.